Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Regarding U.S. Request for WTO Dispute Panel on Poultry

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 9, 2009 – “The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the U.S. Trade Representative’s request for a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel in its case against the European Union’s ban on poultry processed with approved antimicrobial washes. We believe that the EU’s ban on U.S. poultry meat is not consistent with its WTO obligations.

“Since 2007, U.S. poultry shipments to the EU have been halted. Unfortunately, consultations between the U.S. and the EU have not yielded an agreement. We are hopeful this next step of requesting a WTO dispute settlement panel will move us closer to once again being able to ship U.S. poultry to the EU. We appreciate the USTR’s ongoing work towards opening export markets for American agriculture.”

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